Astral Claws
aka 'The Tyrant's Claw'. Used extensively by Astral Claws Chapter forces from 901.M41 onwards]] "There are but two answers to the question of Humanity's survival in the face of hostile cosmos; overwhelming force and the will to use it." - Lufgt Huron The Astral Claws were an Imperial Space Marine Chapter created in the 35th Millennium specifically to defend the Eastern Fringes of the Imperium from any Chaos threats spawned by the Warp rift called the Maelstrom. They eventually turned renegade against the Imperium and initiated the major rebellion called the Badab War in the 41st Millennium. Upon losing this conflict to Loyalist Imperial forces, including several other Space Marine Chapters, the surviving Astral Claws were corrupted by Chaos and fled into the Maelstrom. They are currently the leaders of a powerful band of Chaos pirates called the Red Corsairs who present a major threat to Imperial commerce in the region. Chapter History Chapter Creation The Astral Claws were created by the Imperium of Man during an unknown Founding from an unknown original Chapter in the 35th Millennium to guard against the numerous Chaos threats emerging from the Warp rift called the Maelstrom in the Easternn Fringes of the galaxy. Rebellion In response to the Astral Claws' homeworld of Badab's failure to pay its planetary tithes for 150 years and to the Chapter's tardiness in submitting its usual 5% tithe of gene-seed to the Adeptus Mechanicus, an Imperial Adeptus Mechanicus Explorator cruiser entered Badab's orbit to conduct an investigation of the actions of Lufgt Huron, the Chapter Master of the Astral Claws and the Imperial Governor of Badab. Huron's first overt act of rebellion was to order his own planetary defenses to fire upon the intruders, starting the Badab War. The Imperial starship was destroyed, and the Inquisition martialed several other Loyalist Space Marine Chapters to put down the rebellion and eliminate the Astral Claws. The Badab War The Astral Claws found themselves outnumbered by Imperial forces and so called for aid from other Space Marine Chapters. They were foolishly joined by the Executioners, Lamenters and Mantis Warriors who believed that the Astral Claws had been unfairly targeted by an extremist Puritan faction of the hated Imperial Inquisition rather than beginning the war by firing upon and ruthlessly killing innocent servants of the Emperor. Eventually, the sheer weight of the Imperium's Loyalist forces and the Inquisition crushed the rebels and Badab fell in 312.M41. Around two hundred Astral Claws escaped the Imperial blockade, taking with them Huron's severely maimed body; fleeing into deep space, they eventually found refuge in the Maelstrom where they were secure from the retribution of the forces of the Imperium. The remaining Astral Claws became a pirate warband of Chaos Space Marines called the Red Corsairs and a cybernetically-enhanced Lufgt Huron, who had finally given his soul over wholeheartedly to Chaos Undivided to save his life, became a Chaos Lord calling himself Huron Blackheart, their notorious leader. Lord Blackheart now rules a vast Chaos domain within the Maelstrom and some members of the Inquisition's Ordo Malleus believe that he and the Red Corsairs are becoming as great a threat to the Imperium as the Chaos Space Marine Legions of the Eye of Terror. Chapter Organisation The remnants of the Chapter form the core of a group of renegade Chaos Space Marines known as the [[The Red Corsairs|'Red Corsairs']], who ruthlessly attack supply lines and follow Chaos Undivided. Since becoming followers of Chaos, the renegade Chapter is known to harbor fugitive Traitor Marines from several other Chapters who have abandoned their Chapter and the Imperium and turned to Chaos Undivided instead. The Red Corsairs are organised into a large fleet, able to deploy small, elite warbands of Chaos Space Marines supported by larger groups of human and mutant reavers who ar also sworn to Chaos. The Chaos Space Marines among the force are supremely proficient at the boarding actions once favoured by the Chapter whose ship-to-ship fighting prowess was infamous. Huron Blackheart maintains a substantial fleet consisting of vessels captured over numerous engagements, ranging from a single Adeptus Astartes battle barge, a number of strike cruisers, many and varied escorts and a huge number of classes of interceptors and bombers. Rumours suggest that Huron's command ship, salvaged when it was drifting on the edge of the Maelstrom, was originally a Word Bearers Traitor Legion starship. Combat Doctrines The Red Corsairs fight primarily as an expression of their twisted faith in Chaos Undivided. In order to save what was left of his Chapter and his hideously wounded body, Lufgt Huron made a terrible pact with the Ruinous Powers, pledging eternal service in return for the blessings and patronage of Chaos. With limited numbers at their disposal, the Red Corsairs spend much of their time as space pirates, but also launch brutal raids on Imperial shipping and isolated outposts. These raids are not for plundering, but for the sheer pleasure of raiding the areas that they once swore to protect for the Emperor. Chapter Appearance Chapter Colours The Astral Claws were originally referred to as the "Tiger Claws" and their armour was patterned with tiger stripes. As the Red Corsairs, they now wear red and black Power Armour with gold trim. Chapter Badge The original Chapter iconography for the Astral/Tiger Claws was an orange, black and white, tiger-striped colour scheme with a tiger's head centered on the shoulder pad inside a yellow coloured circle. The new iconography is a contemporary tiger's head coloured gold and black on a dark blue background. Notable Astral Claws and Red Corsairs *Chapter Master Lufgt Huron (known as Huron Blackheart following the Badab War) Notes In the original Warhammer 40,000 background, the Chapter was called the Tiger Claws, although Games Workshop no longer refers to this name. Sources *''Warhammer 40,000: Compendium '' *''White Dwarf'' 101(UK) "Index Astartes: The Badab Uprising" by Rick Priestley *''White Dwarf'' 303 (UK) "Index Astartes: Rogue Sons" by Andy Hoare *''Heroes of the Space Marines'' (Anthology) Category:Chaos Category:Chaos Space Marine Legions Category:Badab War